About the Author

Given the passage of many years, it became clear the industry was not on a path to a solution that would reliably prevent the most challenging error types in human-dependent safety functions, barriers and tasks.

Consistent with how he handled complicated problems throughout his career, Tom realized progress may move quicker if he used his multi-discipline background and experience to work out what a solution might look like.  That work (plan A) started with early attempts to develop and present new model concepts at conferences. Tom soon learned the topic was simply too large and complex for this delivery approach and realized the need for Plan B. He made the decision to fully develop the concepts for book publication. After a year’s work and 200 pages, he concluded the approach lacked the structure and detail needed to reveal and explain the wide range of error types (and sources) that can occur in different situations and lifecycle phases. Much of that work was discarded and the effort moved to Plan C.

Plan C proved to be successful. Using his expertise in safety design, process safety, and capital project execution, Tom’s 2nd attempt at model development created the model in the book. The model is highly detailed, and extensively supported and explained with examples, technical and execution guidance, and case studies from different industry sectors. The development approach used the last process to guide and inform the next process or step.

Over 2.5 years, this effort continued to create the 136 processes encompassing all lifecycle phases. That work was challenged by the extensive time needed to evaluate, select, and integrate elements and guidance from 31 globally recognized experts and 21 industry organization documents.

The addition of the requirement and design tables were instrumental to that process.A missing input to a process identified a step in a prior process. Assigning unique identifiers to every process and step contributed to the fully traceable design and management solution.  The iterative development approach included synthesis, integration, and trial and error. Every physical, human and organizational element in the delivered design can be traced backwards through each lifecycle phase. The same claim cannot be made for existing solutions. Design traceability is a key attribute to consider when validating a new design model.

This book is the product of a critical need, a long-term interest, and a willingness to take on a profoundly daunting problem. The 4-year effort delayed vacations, incurred thousands of dollars of cost (e.g., books, conferences, and editing services), and consumed endless hours reading, assimilating, integrating, and validating content and understanding.

A key goal was a work that would be accepted for publication by one of the premier global publishers of peer-reviewed science and engineering books and journals. The end product is a breakthrough book of close to 200,000 words, 9 chapters, 162 tables, 52 figures, and 13 topical appendices providing additional processes and tools, analysis, resources, and content detail.

Some Early History.  In addition to his work and leadership on major capital projects in several industry sectors, Tom has a career developing corporate-level technical and execution standards and programs.  His unique skillls, persistence, successful leadership, and delivery of many complex technical and organizational studies, standards, and program elements contributed to step and evolutionary changes in several corporations. An early success, Tom was a member in a small team that developed and delivered the corporate process safety management program that responded to a new PSM regulation promulgated in 1992.  He also has a career-long history with the globally employed standard IEC 61511. That history started long before it, and the originating standard ISA S84 standard, was published.  Tom was also one its earliest implementers on deepwater O&G projects.